Column: Unions will go unharmed under legislation

Today, March 28, the right-to-work legislation signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder last December will take effect. Here are some important facts about the much-maligned right-to-work law: In spite of what you may have heard from union leaders during the contentious debate over right-to-work, the truth is that after the law takes effect, not one union member will lose their right to join a union.

Unions will still enjoy their right to organize workers in the workplace. Contrary to what some union fear-mongers have claimed, workers will not be able to be fired for no reason. Unions will still be able to bargain for the same worker protections that they have in the past. In fact, conditions for both union members and nonunion workers alike will continue pretty much as they were before right-to-work took effect.

The primary difference will be that workers in shops where the majority have voted for union representation will now have a choice. If they support having a union and wish to belong and financially support that unionís representation of the workforce, they can continue to do so. Under the right-to-work law, if they do not support a union, even if the majority of the workforce does, they cannot be forced to join and financially support the union and its political activities. Unions have become very political. Union bosses have become preoccupied with money and the political power it brings, and this is a dangerous combination, especially when a workerís union membership was compulsory. It is an incestuous relationship between unions and the Democratic Party that is ripe for corruption. Hopefully, the right-to-work law will bring about political reform within the unions. Any involvement union bosses do have in politics should be limited and only represent their memberís wishes. For example, UAW President Bob King should ask UAW members who to endorse, not tell them who they will be supporting.

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Now workers in Michigan will join the workers of 23 other states and they will enjoy labor freedom, the ability to decide for themselves if they want to join a union and financially support that union. This is a bedrock principle of liberty: The individual workerís ability to decide for themselves if they want to join a labor organization or not. This could reduce the power of unions, but it could also make unions better and more responsive to the will of its members. Suggestions of individual members will now be more likely to be listened to, since a worker will not be forced to continue to financially support the union if he chooses to resign.

After decades of union control, letís give labor freedom a chance in Michigan.